Electrical carburetor starter



Sept. 29, 1931. p E, EDELMAN ELECTRICAL CARBURETOR STARTER Filed March22. 1928 INVEN TOR.

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 2mm E. mm, OF cmcaeo, IIJINOIS BIZECTBICALCABIBUBETOB STARTER Application filed larch 22, 1828. Serial 10.288,781.

My present invention relates to an automatic electrical heating systemfor quickly startin the operation of a cold carburetor. The ob ects ofthe improvement are to supply 5 a simple automatic means to initiallyvaporize a small portion of the carburetors jet flow, rapid in actionand requiring no manual op eration by the driver of the car to which t ecarburetor is attached.

My invention can be applied to any standard type of carburetor and doesnot interfere with its proper functioning. I am aware that variousattempts have been made to employ auxiliary electrical heatingappliances to 16 primers, intake manifold, an intake, carburetor bowl,main gasoline line to carburetor, auxiliary priming compartments,carburetor drip receptacles, and drip absorbers, usually controlled by adash mounted switch or 20 switch connected with the air choker control,but my improvement differs therefrom. The new departures are firstly,that the operation is automatic and controlled by the regular carstarter switch which actuates the starting motor; secondly that the caroperator cannot burn out the heating element by forgetting to shut theelectric supply to the heater off, or

b operating same without drip (gas supply;

ir ly that a large ampere hour rain on the so car battery is avoided byconcentrating the heat on only a tiny volume of the gas supply justbefore it leaves the carburetor et instead of heating a large volume inthe carburetor bowl or an auxiliary catch basin therefor;

as fourthly, in that the heater automatically stops acting as soon asthe motor stops turning the engine and the latter commences to functionin normal manner; and fifthly in that the auxiliary starting heat is aplied In continuously at the carburetor jet exact y as long as requiredfor affording starting input gas to each 0 linder.

-- Owing to t e general use of lower gravity and mixed fuels, the bestcarburetors are un- 6B able to function properly from a cold start,

articularly in severe winter weather. gVhere air chokin is used anexcess of cold gasoline dro lets is often drawn into the intake manifo dand causes loading of the engine. I have conceived that, if the externalstarting heat can be applied right at the jet flow, the car driver willnot need to resort to excessive choking and repeated starting attempts.Also, a small supply of asoline is assured in the immediate vicinity othe small heater so that it can rapidly heat the small jet flow as fastas required. A single cable serves for the necessary wiring when clippedon the un ounded motor terminal as a shunt circuit therefrom thru theheating element, and returning via the car ground to the car battery.Initial installations will have the electrical plug installed, but manyexisting cars can be equipped by replacing electrically fitted plug in:place of regular jet or drip plugs.

illustrate by we of example, a suitable embodiment of my invention 111the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a schematic partiallysectional diagram illustrating the starter on a jet type carburetor, andF1 re 2 is a front section showing plug connectlon to a plural jet type.v

From the following description of the drawings it will be evident thatsuitable means are set forth whereby the gasoline" supply is heatedsubstantially only in a very small volume thereof after same has flowedfrom the main float chamber of the carburetor and before leaving thefeed nozzle. In effect the supply in the nozzle reservoir is heated onlyduring starting, as electrical heating is not required after the enginehas commenced regular firing. The amount of heat needed to pre-heat thesmall column of fuel in the nozzle supply is so small that the electricheater can be operated at high temperature safely because it is cut offautomatically when the starter switch used for the starting motor isreleased immediately after the firing commences. No considerable waitingis therefore needed, nor is the heat dissipated, because it isconcentrated on the small volume of fuel acti'ially required forstarting the motor.

,Since the action thereby provided is instantly effective, the briefcurrent consumption of the heater is more than compensated bythe shorterduration of the motor starting current required. Also, prolonged choking100 of the carburetors air supply during starting is Igbgviated. F

e erring now to i re 1, a 0 ular t e of carburetor, l, is indi c atedgrdiuided at iii), 21. The electric starting system includes the usualpedal switch 22 actuatingcontacts 23 to close a circuit from battery 20via ground connections 21, 30, thru motor-24, so that motor 24 can startthe vehicle engine to which it is attached, as usual.

One terminal of motor 24 is junction 28 which connects to switch 22, 23.A connector clip 19 is provided to connect with terminal 28. A cable 18has one end thereof attached to clip 19, and connects to plug terminal17 at its other end.

Terminal 17 includes a stud portion 25 tiglhtly held in a bushing 16 ofisolantite or 0t er suitable refractory insulation capable of keeping athread at 29. Lavite is also suitable for bushing 16. An enlarged pinsupport wire 26 is imbedded in metal 25 and carries electric heater coil27 concentrically spaced and supported thereby and cleared from thewalls of the tiny gasoline nozzle well 12. N ichrome wire is suitablefor heater element 27 and may be proportioned to carry 5 to 10 amperesof operating current taken from battery 20. ,A brass gasket 15 issecured to one end of heater coil 27 to afford connection therefrom tocarburetor 1, as well as a tight seal between bushing 16 and threadednipple 10. A gasket 9 aids the sealing between nipple 10 and float bowlshell 29. When switch 22, 23 is operated, current flows from battery 20via cable 18 thru heater wire 27, then via washer 15 thru carburetor 1,returning via ground 30, 21. The connection 30 may comprise the engineframe and vehicle framework.

It will be noticed that bushing 16 is adapted to be threaded in place oncarburetor l replacing the usual metal nut used to retain bowl 29 inplace. The action of the carburetor in other respects is normal.

Carburetor 1 is attachable to the intake manifold of the vehicle engineat flange 8. Fuel is fed to float compartment 2 in customary manner andfloat 3 maintains the operatlng level thereof. Float bowl compartment 2feeds fuel to nozzle well 12 via passage 11. There is always a supply offuel in well 12 in intimate contact with heater wire 27 so thatsubstantially all of the heat set up in wire 27 may be promptlytransferred to the fuel in well 12. The relative thermic masses of thefuel in well 12 and the wire heater27 are such that instantaneous heattransfer is effected.

fif- In operating, the carburetor in starting, it is customary to closeair choker 5, but my invention shortens. the timerequired for the choking. Also it is customary to open throttle 6 to the intake manifoldconnected to carburetor 1 at flange 8. Usual Venturi tube 31 and pipe 30permit the-engine suction to draw fuel thru jet 4 from nozzle well 12.Also fuel for idling can be drawn by suction at idling jet 7 connectedvia pipe 13, and passage 14 respectively, to nozzle feed well 12.

The heater wire 27 is thus permitted to preheat a tiny portion of fueljust prior to the time it is used, and for starting only, as switchbutton 22 is customarily released the moment the vehicle enginecommences firing. The arrangement is such that the more volatilecomponents of the fuel in well 12 are first driven upwards. The flow offuel from bowl 2 prevents any appreciable pre-heating of the fuel inbowl 2 or the main gasoline supply. The pre-heating is thereby madeeffective in an extremely short time and its necessary duration issimilarly brief, as controlled by pedal 22. The other operations of thecarburetor require no explanation since they are the same after initialstarting, as in the prior art.

In Figure 2, an enlarged nozzle section illustrates the application ofthe heater element to the nozzle fuel well. Fuel from float bowl 2enters well 12 via passage 37 as metered by pin 40 at orifice 36. Heatercoil 27 supported by pin 26 and held in contact with threaded flange 29by its washer attachment 9, is positioned to thermally influence thefuel flowing thru nozzle well 12. Isolantite plug 16 supports metal plug25 which holds pin 26, as in Figure 1. Cable 18 extends from metal plug25 as in Figure 1.

At starting the fuel in nozzle well 12 is pre-heated as explained forFigure 1 so that fuel in jet pipe 33 and jet pipe 32 readily vaporizesand mixes at nozzles 39, 38 respectively. Nozzle 38 operates only whenair valve 35 is opened by the engine suction, so the initial pre-heatedfuel from well 12 will be mainly effective at small Venturi equipped jet39. Venturi tube 34 is made integral to jet 39 in customary manner.

An other type of carburetor may similarly equip ed according to myinvention. The wire 27 o ers substantially no flow resistance to thefuel passing via well 12, so the normal operation of the carburetor isnot interfered with. The wire 27 is also rigidly supported so that itcannot bend out of place or against walls of well 12. Plug 16 can easilybe removed for inspection or renewals.

The tendency of modern fuels to separate into volatile and less volatileconstituents ordinarily might cause accumulation of less volatilecomponents in well 12, but the action of heater 27 is operative to drivesame out, permitting fresh flow of fuel to become promptly effective inwell 12.

It is the general experience of motorists that modern carburetors aresatisfactory once they are warmed up, and my invention is mainlyeffective in starting the carburetor J:

in cold'weather when starting is diflicult. Excessive choking is notrequired, thus obviating danger of crank case dilution or loading of theengine with excess of cool fuel droplets. In summer, clip 19, Fi ure 1ma be removed from terminal 28 1f desire though the operation of theheater 27 is beneficial thruout the year when low grade fuels are usedin carburetor 1. It appears that the hexane content of the fuel isartial- 1y separated by the action ofheater 2 along with some of theheptane of the fuel, improving the starting mixture during all seasonsof the year. Wire 27 will not burn out as long as tnere is fuel in well12, which is substantially secured as long as there is any fuel incarburetor 1. Any tendency for carbonization of deposit on wire 27 isavoided by the flow of fuel thereabout.

I claim:

1. An electric heater plug for a carburetor comprising a threadedinsulator having a centrally disposed aperture, a metallic leadin withinthe aperture and occupying the lowermost portion thereof, a heater wireconnected to and supported by the lead-in thereabove and within and inspaced relation to the walls defining the aperture, thus providing awell for the accumulation of fuel about the wire, and a metallicconducting gasket surrounding the heater wire and electrically connectedthereto to seal the plug to the carburetor.

2. An electric heater plug for a carburetor, said carburetor having anopening adjacent the jet portion thereof defined by a nipple, the plugcomprising a threaded insulator having a centrally disposed aperture,a-metallic lead-in within the aperture and occupying the lowermostportion thereof, a heater wire connected to and supported by the lead-inthereabove and within and in spaced relation to the walls defining theaperture, thus providing a well for the accumulation of fuel about thewire, and a metallic conducting gasket surrounding the heater wire andelectrically connected thereto to seal the plug about the nipple.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 17 th day of March,1928.

PHILIP E. EDELMAN.

